ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Liam McNeilly today ensured an almost perfect start to his USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire season by claiming his second win for Jay Howard Driver Development. McNeilly, 18, from London, England, also secured two of the three available bonus points after qualifying on pole position and leading all 20 laps of the second leg of The Foundation Building Materials Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to capture a total of 64 points – out of a maximum possible 66 – from the opening weekend of his rookie campaign.
Jack Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas, once again followed McNeilly to the checkered flag. On this occasion he also claimed the one remaining bonus point for setting fastest lap of the race in his Exclusive Autosport Tatuus USF-18. Caleb Gafrarar, from Charlotte, N.C., rebounded from an accident in the opening race to finish a strong third for Pabst Racing.
Yesterday’s winner McNeilly earned the Continental Tire Pole Award for today’s second race by virtue of posting the fastest of each drivers’ second-fastest lap during the lone qualifying session on Friday. He was flanked on the front row by Gafrarar, who had taken the pole for Race One and was looking to make amends for a mistake which ended his day early in the opening 20-lap race.
Weather conditions today once again were warm and dry, and the 19-strong field – with an average age of just 17 – obliged with a thrilling and clean race from the green flag to the checkered flag.
McNeilly took full advantage of his pole position to lead into the first corner, while an opportunist start from Jeffers saw him leapfrog both Colombian Sebastian Garzon (DEForce Racing) and Gafrarar to vault from fourth to second.
McNeilly inched away during the middle of the race, extending his lead to almost two seconds, and even though the young Texan fought back in the closing stages, McNeilly once again dug deep to take the checkered flag 2.7672 seconds ahead of his rival.
Gafrarar was relatively content to finish third after edging clear of Garzon, last year’s Lucas Oil Formula Car Series champion, in the final laps.
Australian Brad Majman also bounced back from an early disappointment on Friday – taken out by another driver’s over-exuberance at the first corner. He finished a strong fifth today for Jay Howard Driver Development.
Evan Cooley, from Mokena, Ill., backed up his fourth position on Friday by finishing sixth for Exclusive Autosport, narrowly ahead of VRD Racing’s Thomas Schrage, from Bethel, Ohio. Schrage, one of the preseason favorites, blotted his copybook by collecting a concrete wall early in qualifying yesterday which consigned him to the back of the grid for both races. Undaunted, he made up five positions on the opening lap today, then continued his march toward the front. His final victim was VRD teammate and USF2000 debutant Teddy Musella, from Orlando, Fla., whom he passed for seventh place on Lap 13. Schrage then whittled a deficit of more than four seconds to Cooley to just a quarter of a second at the finish line. Schrage’s performance comfortably netted him the Tilton Hard Charger Award.
Jay Howard claimed his second PFC Award of the weekend as the winning team owner. Jay Howard Driver Development has taken an early lead in the chase for the coveted Team Championship with a six-point edge over Exclusive Autosport.
The USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire challengers now have a brief hiatus before returning to action at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, La., for a tripleheader event on the weekend of April 12/13.
Provisional championship points after 2 of 18 races:
1. Liam McNeilly, 64
2. Jack Jeffers, 51
3. Jeshua Alianell, 34
4. Evan Cooley, 34
5. Sebastian Garzon, 29
6. G3 Argyros, 28
7. Caleb Gafrarar, 26
8. Thomas Schrage 23
9. Anthony Martella, 21
10= Christian Cameron, 20
10= Teddy Musella, 20
Liam McNeilly (#9 Acclaim Contracts/Wolf International-Jay Howard Driver Development Tatuus USF-22): “I had a good start. I didn't have to defend into Turn One so I managed to get a bit of a gap, and then it was just about managing really. Jack was still there and, if I made a mistake, he was there to pounce. I just had to keep off of the wall and bring it home. I am looking forward to NOLA in a few weeks with the championship lead.”
Jack Jeffers (#92 Corpay Cross Border Solutions-Exclusive Autosport Tatuus USF-22): “It was a good race. We are starting off the season with two second places, good points and good momentum to build on for NOLA It was just a consistency race. I was there in the beginning, and then he pulled away. I was trying to reel him back in and just make sure I stayed consistent with myself and stayed consistent with the car. If he made a mistake, I could pounce but he drove perfectly. He never made that mistake that I was looking for and so he beat us today, but we'll be back stronger for NOLA.”
Caleb Gafrarar (#24 Circle K/Bell/Racing Electronics/Molecule-Pabst Racing Tatuus USF-22): “We started P2. Liam got out ahead of me and then we ended up sitting third about the whole race and I was getting pressure from behind from the DEForce car. It was a pretty solid race. I stayed my ground after yesterday getting into the wall. I just tried to stay where I was and keep all four wheels on the car. At the end, we were third and I'm happy with it because this is the first time I raced in this car and I can't wait to see what the season brings.”